By Blake Jackson
Four prominent environmental and agricultural organizations have expressed their praise for the recently passed legislation aimed at modernizing the state's farmland preservation program. The bipartisan bill, signed into law by Governor Tony Evers, enhances the program by offering increased per-acre tax credits to participating farmers and decreasing the minimum time commitment from 15 to 10 years.
This program update was a key priority of the Clean Water Initiative, a collaborative effort involving Clean Wisconsin, Dairy Business Association, The Nature Conservancy, and WI Land+Water. This initiative aimed to identify common ground on critical water and agricultural issues facing the state.
"These legislative changes represent a significant victory for both Wisconsin agriculture and conservation," the participating groups declared jointly.
Sara Walling, Water and Agriculture Program Director at Clean Wisconsin, emphasizes the importance of preserving Wisconsin's farming heritage through maintaining working farmland. She believes that the "essential updates" will encourage greater farmer participation in the program.
"The Farmland Preservation Program stands alone as the only program in Wisconsin incentivizing farmers to uphold working lands adhering to conservation standards," states Matt Krueger, Executive Director of WI Land+Water. "These improvements will only further strengthen this vital program."
With these modifications, the modernized farmland preservation program is expected to encourage greater farmer participation and contribute to the ongoing efforts to conserve and protect Wisconsin's agricultural land and water resources.
Learn more about the changes: https://www.midwestfarmreport.com/2023/12/06/state-approves-changes-to-farmland-preservation-agreements/
Listen to responses from DATCP: https://omny.fm/shows/mid-west-farm-report-madison/farmland-preservation-managers-expect-changes-to-b
Photo Credit: istock-alenamozhjer
Categories: Wisconsin, Sustainable Agriculture